Salad serving combination including container for salad ingredients and cups for dressings or garnishes removably supported thereby

ABSTRACT

A salad serving combination including a main container for the salad ingredients, such as fresh vegetables or fruits, preferably of bucket-like form. The combination also includes carrier means removably supported from the container but normally removably supporting a plurality of cups for various dressings and/or garnishes around the exterior of the bucket for ease in selection for use with a serving of the salad ingredients taken from the container.

United States Patent 91 Knapp I [111 3,738,525 [4 1 June 12, 1973 [54] SALAD SERVING COMBINATION INCLUDING CONTAINER FOR SALAD INGREDIENTS AND CUPS FOR DRESSINGS OR GARNISIIES REMOVA BLY SUPPORTED THEREBY [76] Inventor: Robert E. Knapp, 1489 Ardwick Road, Columbus, Ohio 43220 [22] Filed: June 7, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 150,527

[52] US. Cl. 220/23.4, 220/23.83, 220/85 H,

[51] Int. CL. B65d 21/02, A47g 19/32, A47g 23/08 [58] Field of Search 220/23.4, 23.83,

. 220/23.86, 85 R, 85H; 215/100 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,056,943 10/1936 Lehman ..220/23.83

2,808,960 10/1957 Wilson 220/65 882,636 3/1908 Hopkins... 220/23.83 2,949,203 8/1960 Berg 215/100 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 312,784 11/1933 Italy 220/23.86

Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Attorney-Mahoney, Miller & Stebens 57] ABSTRACT A salad serving combination including a main container for the salad ingredients, such as fresh vegetables or fruits, preferably of bucket-like form. The combina-- tion also includes carrier means removably supported from the container but normally removably supporting a plurality of cups for various dressings and/or garnishes around the exterior of the bucket for ease in selection for use with a serving of the salad ingredients taken from the container.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SALAD SERVING COMBINATION INCLUDING CONTAINER FOR SALAD INGREDIENTS AND CUPS FOR DRESSING OR GARNISIIES REMOVABLY SUPPORTED THEREBY At the present time, it is customary to serve the main salad-making ingredients, such as fresh vegetables for tossedsalads or fruit for fruit salads, from a large container for deposit individual dishes and to serve various dressings or garnishes from separate containers. The present invention provides for a main container, preferably in bucket form, and various cups supported around the container, for containing dressings or garnishes for selection. Consequently, all of the saladmaking ingredients can be presented at once for selec tion and use.

The best mode contemplated in carrying out my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 'is a perspective view of the salad serving combination.

FIG 2 is a plan view of the cup-supporting ring unit of the combination.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the suspending unit for suspending the ring unit of FIG. 2 from the bucket shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the units of FIGS. 2 and 3 after assembly.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the combination.

With specific reference to the drawings, in FIG. 1, the entire combination is shown as including the main container and the various cups 11 supported around the container. The container is preferably in the form of a bucket having a tapering side wall 12 so that the bucket is of less diameter at its lower end. It is provided with a lower edge extremity 13 of annular form adapted to rest on a table or other support. The bucket also has a bail handle including arms 14 pivoted thereto adjacent its upper edge by diametrically opposed outwardly extending trunnions or pivots 15. The bucket may be of any suitable material.

The cups 1] may be of any suitable material and may be provided in suitable number. Each cup is of tapering form with its larger diameter end uppermost. Each cup will removably fit directly into a small supporting ring 16 which will be of a selected diameter to engage the cup tapering side wall toward its upper edge to prevent it from dropping therethrough. The rings 16 are spaced circumferentially around a large support ring 17 which is of larger diameter than the lower end of the bucket 10.

The ring 17 is adapted to be suspended from the bucket by the suspending unit shown in FIG. 3 and which includes the bearing ring 18. This ring 18 is of substantially the same diameter as the ring 17 and is provided with a continuous upwardly opening bearing groove 19 formed at the upper side thereof. The ring 18 is suspended from the pivots of the bucket by means of the arms 21 which are rigidly connected thereto at their lower ends at diametrically opposed points. These arms are upstanding and have pivotengaging hooks 21a formed at their upper extremities. As indicated in FIG. 5, the ring 17 will rest in the groove 19. At the outer edge of the groove 19 is a lip 22 and the rings 16 are fastened to the ring 17 toward its upper side so that when the ring 17 rests in the groove 19, the rings 16 will not contact the lip 22. Thus, the support ring 17 will be free to rotate in the ring 18.

In assembling the combination, the ring 17 will first be mounted on the bearing ring 18 to produce the ring assembly shown in FIG. 4. Then this assembly is slipped upwardly over the smaller end of the bucket 10 and the hooks 21a on the arms 21 are slipped over the pivot pins or trunnions 15. This will suspend the ring 17 at such a level above the lower edge 13 of the bucket that the rings 16 will be at a predetermined level. This level will be sufficiently high to prevent contact of the bottoms of the cups 11 with the table or other support for the bucket after the cups 11 are inserted therein. Thus, even after the cups are inserted, the ring 17 can be rotated on the ring 18.

If desired, suitable wedge members may be inserted between the tapering side wall 12 of the bucket and the bearing ring 18. These wedge members are preferably disposed at diametrically opposed points and their upper end are of sufficient thickness to prevent them from dropping downwardly through the space between the ring and the bucket wall. This will result in more stability of the cup-supportin structure, especially during rotation. One of these members is shown at 10a in FIG. 1.

It will be aparent that the carrier for the cups can be rotated relative to the bucket for ease in selection of the dressing or gamishing for the salad. All of the salad ingredients will be readily available from the single combination of containers which can be presented as a unit to an individual for selection. The cups can be removed individually or the entire cup-supporting ring assembly can be removed from the bucket.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed 1. A salad serving combination comprising a main container for the salad ingredients, a cup-supporting ring assembly supported on the container and having a plurality of cup-receiving sockets disposed around its circumference, and cups disposed in said sockets; said cup-supporting ring assembly comprising a large support ring disposed around the container and having the sockets in the form of cup-receiving rings extending outwardly therefrom and disposed therearound, and a bearing ring supported by said container in surrounding relationship thereto and rotatably supporting said support ring, said bearing ring being channel-shaped, opening upwardly and receiving the support ring which rests thereon.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the cup-receiving rings extend outwardly from the support ring over the outer lip of said channel without contacting therewith.

3. A combination according to claim 2 in which the bearing ring is suspended from the container by suspending arms attached thereto and removably engaging the container.

4. A combination according to claim 3 in which the container is a bucket with a bail handle having opposed pivots, said arms having hooks on their upper ends for engaging said pivots, said arms positioning the bearingring toward the bottom edge of the bucket but spaced therefrom.

5. A combination according to claim 4 in which the cups have tapering walls so that they will rest on the cup-receiving rings with their bottom edges spaced lower end, and wedge spacer members removably inabove the bucket bottom edge. serted between the bucket wall and bearing ring forsta- 6. A combination according to claim 4 in which the bility. bucket has a wall which tapers inwardly towards its 

1. A salad serving combination comprising a main container for the salad ingredients, a cup-supporting ring assembly supported on the container and having a plurality of cup-receiving sockets disposed around its circumference, and cups disposed in said sockets; said cup-supporting ring assembly comprising a large support ring disposed around the container and having the sockets in the form of cup-receiving rings extending outwardly therefrom and disposed therearound, and a bearing ring supported by said container in surrounding relationship thereto and rotatably supporting said support ring, said bearing ring being channelshaped, opening upwardly and receiving the support ring which rests thereon.
 2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the cup-receiving rings extend outwardly from the support ring over the outer lip of said channel without contacting therewith.
 3. A combination according to claim 2 in which the bearing ring is suspended from the container by suspending arms attached thereto and removably engaging the container.
 4. A combination according to claim 3 in which the container is a bucket with a bail handle having opposed pivots, said arms having hooks on their upper ends for engaging said pivots, said arms positioning the bearing ring toward the bottom edge of the bucket but spaced therefrom.
 5. A combination according to claim 4 in which the cups have tapering walls so that they will rest on the cup-receiving rings with their bottom edges spaced above the bucket bottom edge.
 6. A combination according to claim 4 in which the bucket has a wall which tapers inwardly towards its lower end, and wedge spacer members removably inserted between the bucket wall and bearing ring for stability. 